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Starting Zone

Starting Zone helps children get started in a personal relationship with Christ. The program provides an opportunity for parents to talk with their child about growing in their faith, which includes baptism as a public declaration of their relationship with Christ.

Starting Zone helps insure that parents are involved in their child’s decision to be baptized, and that each child is fully ready to be baptized.

Starting Zone is a progression of steps to give parents the confidence and tools to be the primary spiritual leader at home. It helps them guide their child to make a personal decision to start a relationship with Jesus Christ and helps the child express their faith publicly through baptism, when they are ready.

Starting Zone at Tysons

Starting Zone is an opportunity for parents to have conversations with their child about starting a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Children also have an opportunity to take the next steps to grow in their faith, which includes baptism as a public declaration of the their relationship with Christ.

WHAT DOES STARTING ZONE INCLUDE?

There are four parts to Starting Zone all of which are required to participate in a Kid's Quest Baptism, even if the parent/guardian is certain their child already has a relationship with Christ. We believe that parents/guardians can never have too many conversations with their child about a relationship with Christ.

STEPS OF THE STARTING ZONE PROGRAM:

Step 1: Gospel Presentation

The class is a unique 45-minute Gospel presentation about becoming part of God's family. The child comes with his or her parents/guardians to the class. For families with two parents/guardians, we strongly urge both to attend as they are both responsible for guiding their child spiritually.

The family will hear a presentation based on John 3:16 about becoming part of God's family that uses a large family photo album as a visual aid. The four main points taught include:

God loved you before you were born and loves you now but you are separated by sin.

God gave His Son to make a way for you to be in God's family.

We believe in Jesus and rest in the fact that He died for us.

We receive eternal life and can never lose our place in God's family.

At Home

At the end of the class, parents/guardians receive "Gospel Presentation and Baptism Take Home Notes" which is a resource for continuing the conversation at home. Gospel Presentation Notes include questions about the 4 main points that parents/guardians should discuss with their child and work with him or her to answer. Also included are tips for parents/guardians and a sample prayer for starting a personal relationship with Christ.

We believe that God intended for parents/guardians to be the primary spiritual trainers in their child's life. An hour a week spent in Kid's Quest cannot compare with the number of hours parents/guardians have with their children at home. Parents/guardians need to have conversations with their child about starting a relationship with Christ and need to guide them in taking the next steps to grow towards becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ.

Parents/guardians will also receive information about the timeline for the next three steps of Starting Zone. However, helping your child complete and understand the answers in their Gospel Presentation Take Home Notes is your first obligation. Our schedule dates are not a substitute for God's timing. The goal is not to get your child baptized. The goal is to have true and meaningful conversations with your child about Christ. Be praying and looking for the opportunities that the Holy Spirit sends your way to have these conversations. Follow the Holy Spirit's lead regarding your child's readiness to move toward being baptized.

At the end of Gospel Presentation Notes, there is a section for your child to write out the story of when they asked Jesus to be their Savior. When your child can articulate an understanding of what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ, first stop and celebrate. We suggest taking a photograph to add to your own family album as a remembrance of the day your child joined God's family. Baptism readiness is a child who can articulate, on his or her own, a clear understanding of what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ and demonstrates a desire to publicly declare that they believe and trust in Jesus. This is going to help you know when they are ready to talk about baptism. If your child is ready, use the Baptism Take Home notes to guide this conversation.

If your child is not ready to move onto Baptism, we recommend waiting. Kid's Conversations dates are offered at various times during the year. You may also choose to bring your child back to another Gospel Presentation. Again, you can never have too many conversations with your child about their relationship with Christ.

If you bring more than one child to class, have conversations with each child separately and work on completing separate Take Home Notes with each. Celebrate each child and discern their readiness for baptism individually.

Step 2: Kid's Conversation

Parents/Guardians sign their child up for a Kid's Conversation when their child is ready to talk about their relationship with Christ and be publicly baptized. Kid's Conversation is a one-on-one interview between a child and a Kid's Quest leader about what it means to have a relationship with Christ and how baptism is one way to publicly declare one's faith in Christ. The Kid's Quest leader will use the completed Gospel Presentation & Baptism Take Home Notes to guide the conversation. Parents/Guardians are invited to sit in on the interview, but may not guide the child's answers.

Step 3: Testimony

Kid's Quest leaders determine if a child is ready to prepare their Testimony at the conclusion of the Kid's Conversation. Testimony is the child telling the story of how they came to Christ and explaining why they want to be baptized.

We use different methods of helping the child tell their testimony which may include reading their own, having someone else read it, or an audio recording when available.

The experience helps teach children how to tell others their story.

Children are sometimes nervous at the Baptism Ceremony so the option of someone else reading it or a video enables all children to share their stories.

Parents/Guardians will receive a copy of their child's testimony to have as a keepsake of this important milestone with their child's life.

Step 4: Baptism Ceremony

A Baptism Ceremony is held where families and friends are invited. The baptism takes place at Tysons Campus and is conducted by a MBC Pastor. Families and friends are welcome to join in the celebration of this milestone.